Does A board game transporting the players to another world, where they would have to use their predetermined powers and wits to foil the plan of a mystical evil sound familiar? Well, because it is. Now, if I tell you there is a pack of werewolves involved and a version of Leonardo da Vinci in the same world. However silly it sounds, you cannot help but feel intrigued by the sheer absurdness of this premise. That is what Francois Uzan’s “Family Pack” (Original title: Loups-Garous) has in its strength column. That helps the French film rise above the obvious familiarity with “Jumanji.” The goofy texture of the story elevates the otherwise generic medieval fantasy tale, helping it become a classic escapist funfair for the holiday seasons.
Family Pack (Loups-Garous, 2024) ‘Netflix’ Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
A Journey into a Medieval Game Reality
“Family Pack” starts with an introduction of the family via casual conversations. Jerome (Franck Dubosc) and Marie (Suzanne Clement) are married and have a daughter, Louise (Alizée Caugnies). Jerome also has a daughter, Clara (Lisa Do Couto Texeira), from his previous marriage. Similarly, Marie has a son, Theo (Raphael Romand), from her previous marriage. The entire family has come to meet Jerome’s father, Grandpa Gilbert (Jean Reno). Gilbert is suffering from dementia and often misremembers his son’s name.
At Jerome’s insistence, the family starts playing the “Werewolves” game. However, due to reluctance from most of the members, Jerome has to wrap up the proceedings. But the game does not want to be wrapped up. It transports the entire family to the medieval setup of the game. After a few hilarious scenes, the family accepts the reality that they are part of the game now.
Can the Family Survive the Game with a Werewolf in Their Midst?
They are also equipped with powers that their assigned characters have. For example, Grandpa Gilbert’s dementia is gone and he can remember every detail of his life, thanks to his character being the powerful ‘hunter.’ Clara becomes invisible. Jerome can read thoughts as a ‘seer.’ Theo can impersonate anyone as the ‘thief.’
While Marie seems to be powerless, it is little Louise’s power that worries the family. It appears that Louise gets the power of the game’s antagonists. She is a werewolf. The story of the game, and thus the story of the world the family finds themselves in, is that the village is plagued by nightly werewolf attacks. The only way to escape is by killing the werewolves. As the family searches for the adult werewolves to kill, they also have to protect Louise from the village’s sheriff. The sheriff, along with the priest, resorts to mob justice and executes villagers on the mere suspicion of being a werewolf.
Family Pack (Loups-Garous, 2024) ‘Netflix’ Movie Ending Explained:
Who Is the Final Werewolf?
The family’s hunt for werewolves is aided by an Italian artist and scientist, by the name of Piero (Bruno Gouery). While Gilbert hunts one of the werewolves down, Marie gets caught up in a quarrel where the pesky priest brands her as a witch, because she inadvertently shows that she can write. Marie gets the death sentence. She is scheduled to be burnt alive along with another man. The man has been suspected of being a wizard for a long time. This man is the ancestor of Jerome and Gilbert.
With Piero’s help, the family rescues Marie and the man as the sheriff runs after them. In the climactic fight sequence in the church, the family is confronted by the final werewolf, the female leader of the pack. This werewolf is revealed to be none other than the woman the sheriff has been courting. The sheriff and the werewolf were lovers. In a final battle, where Louise’s baby werewolf causes massive damage to the villainous lead werewolf, the family wins, thus finishing the game.
Does Gilbert Lose His Memory?
Once the family manages to battle past the evil sheriff and the werewolves, it becomes apparent they will be able to go back to their modern lives using the magical game. Gilbert knew that their win also meant him going back to his old life. A life where he is no longer strong, and grasping to retain the memories that matter.
However, Gilbert prepared himself for the same. So, when the family comes back to modern times, Gilbert hands Jerome a pile of parchments. Gilbert does not seem to remember what it is for, but it becomes clear when Jerome reads the first page. Gilbert has used the opportunity that the game provided and jotted down every important memory of his life. He has written everything down, including his feelings for his son, Jerome.
How Did the Painting of Mona Lisa Change?
One of the unique twists in the film is the character Piero. Piero is shown as a gay artist and scientist, who is afraid his identity might cost him his life in the medieval world. From the moment he meets him, Piero takes a shine to Jerome. Piero is also shown to be an inventor. He created the skin for the invisible Clara and prepared a mechanism for Jerome to transform his lute into an electric guitar. In a shocking but pleasant twist, it is revealed that Piero is none other than the noted Renaissance Italian polymath, Leonardo da Vinci. Vinci’s middle name was Piero.
Upon learning Piero’s full name, Jerome asks his ancestors to buy every painting that Piero paints, as he knows what Piero is about to become. Back in modern times, the film shows that the ancestor heeded Jerome’s advice. The Mona Lisa painting seems to be a property of Jerome’s family, which he donated to the Louvre. In a final hilarious twist, the face of this new Mona Lisa seems to carry an uncanny resemblance to Jerome’s face. This establishes that Leonardo da Vinci was so infatuated with Jerome in the “Werewolves” timeline that he painted the Mona Lisa with his mind on Jerome.
Family Pack (Loups-Garous, 2024) ‘Netflix’ Movie Review:
Based on the real-life board game “Werewolves of Millers Hollow,” created by Philippe des Pallieres and Herve Marly, “Family Pack” has both the seriousness and the joy of one good round of a thoroughly engaging game. The silliness permeates the sense of adventure that the film sets its heart on. There is a cozy self-awareness in Uzan’s direction that makes the movie light-hearted without crossing the border of triteness. There is comfort in the predictability of the twists and turns in the story, especially once we have the characters time-travel to a medieval fantasy setting.
For all practical purposes, “Family Pack” (Loups-Garous) is a comedy with cozy Halloween vibes. That is the target demographic here. And despite the occasional hiccups of bringing nothing new to the table, the film manages to harmonize comedy, cozy, and Halloween quite successfully. The film’s earnest commitment to obvious jokes would remind one of Jake Peralta from the popular comedy show “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Like with Peralta’s jokes, one cannot help but chuckle at the ones here, despite the marked silliness of the jokes’ nature.
Uzan also incorporates a similar childlike wonderment in the designs of the werewolves. They have a fearsome appearance, and yet they come across as comfortably cute. The ensemble cast, led by the adult actors’ pack of Jean Reno (Leon: The Professional), Suzanne Clement (Laurence Anyways), and Franck Dubosc is deadpan in their humor, as opposed to being loudly physical in their gags. There is a hilarious scene where the family first realizes that they are actually in the medieval world and not in some medieval-themed fair in the current century; and they do that by tasting the blood, which they thought to be makeup. The actors are all in their element there.
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